Seventeen fourth and fifth grade students at Oakland Elementary School are taking a bold step into the world of technology as part of the new Girls Who Code club, an exciting, nationwide initiative dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech.
Sponsored by fourth grade teacher Mrs. Newman and Instructional Coach Mr. Butler, students meet weekly to learn the foundations of computer science and coding. Through hands-on projects and engaging activities, students are gaining skills that will help them thrive in a digital world.
Girls Who Code is a free program that provides more than just access to coding education. Every participant receives a free t-shirt, notebook, and stickers, helping to foster a sense of community and pride in their shared mission. The club’s foundation is built on the national organization’s mission to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities. With a vision of achieving gender parity in computing and technology sectors, Girls Who Code is building a future where today’s students become tomorrow’s innovators.
Oakland’s participants are already seeing the impact. “Girls Who Code makes coding fun, the coding may be the best part of the entire day,” shared fourth grader Katie Fodor. “I love the actual coding part, teaching us about technology. I look forward to Girls Who Code every Thursday just for coding. It helps in more than just computer programmers because you need to code rockets, cars, buses, GPS, gaming consoles, and basic electronics everyone knows! It will help me in my job making games for YouTube, fun, and making games. Thank you for Girls Who Code and thank you for reading!”
With supportive mentors and a powerful curriculum, the Girls Who Code Club at Oakland is more than an after-school activity, it’s a launching pad for creativity, collaboration, and confidence. And as these Eagles learn to code, they’re also learning that the sky is truly the limit.
